This optional question this month:
What are your pet peeves when reading/writing/editing?
There are certainly more than one. When reading it's difficult to take off my writerly/editing glasses. It really bothers me when I find so many of the things we're told to not do as writers. Adverbs everywhere. Info dumps. Starting with dream sequences. And yet, these authors have big traditional publishing contracts.
In the support side of this blog hop, I've had some frustrating days in the past few months. But I talked with some people like fellow writers, my publisher, and read a few articles. The hard truth is that all writers struggle at times. Even very successful writers struggle. Part of growing as a writer is learning to push through the struggles and keep on writing. Also knowing when to take a break and let your muse call you back to it when you're recharged. I also look at my writing as a job, and sometimes the job doesn't go as smoothly as you'd like but you still go to work. So I'm hard at work on the third book in my current series.
Game of Thrones really wowed us this last episode. Lots happened and the last scene was one of the best of the show. I'm liking Salvation so far though I don't know if it's getting good reviews. Killjoys is okay this year as their story expands into the greater universe. Zoo is one crazy thing after another with some weird things going on though the entire show is pretty weird.
Getting lots of cucumbers and tomatoes from my plants. My refrigerator is filled with fresh fruits and vegetables. It's a lot easier to eat healthy in the summer.
Do some pet peeves jump out at you? What summer shows are you really enjoying? Has summer sped by for you like it has for me? Do you grow your own veggies or otherwise enjoy them this time of year?
34 comments:
I'm loving Game of Thrones this season, that last episode really was brilliant.
Hope your current WIP is going OK, and you're getting over those hurdles. You're right; being a writer can be a struggle at times.
I have the same pet peeves about writers breaking the rules. Glad that talking to other writers has helped you with your own writing challenges.
It's very frustrating when you see big publishing house authors break the rules. And not well.
I love my garden. We're getting tomatoes and jalapenos and tons of herbs. I've been using my dehydrator overtime.
So love GoT! If only every show was as well done as that one. Sigh.
I wish I was better at growing fruits and veggies. I think the tortoises wish I was, too. :)
I don't have a garden where I live, but it don't stop the pigeons leaving messages on my windows.
Yvonne.
Once they have the dough, rules sure go out the window. Good to talk things through and keep on a going too.
It is difficult to take off those writer glasses when faced with some of those habits!
I really enjoy KillJoys - the writers are there have some great lines!!
Every job has its downsides.
I hate those dumps as well.
I have more ups and downs since I started writing than in any other endeavor I've ever undertaken. This is not a career for people who are fragile. :-)
Yup. I struggle to put take off my editing glasses when I'm trying to read for pleasure. Most of the time, I spot everything that I would've edited. It's maddening!
Hi Susan,
This is so true and we writers must realise it. Every writer struggles at some point in time. And we do need to take breaks. When the muse refuses to come, instead of worrying about it, just take a well-deserved pause and enjoy it.
Great article.
Shalom aleichem,
Patricia at Everything Must Change
I really disliked the dream rule when I first learned it, but it's true. Putting your reader on a false track right at the opening is never a good idea.
I have the same problem turning off my writer's eye, which is sometimes needed to enjoy a book. Happy writing on your third book!
Hi, Susan....
UGH... I HATE info dumps... they drive me berserk....The occasional adverb is fine and needed at times, but not on every page. I am a very descriptive writer, BUT, when it's overdone and weighs down the story, that drives me nuts too...
I don't want to be an editor when I read for enjoyment and it's the RARE and THRILLING book that will turn off my inner editor. Sadly, it doesn't happen as often as I'd like.
We're growing cherry tomatoes on our deck and basil in the yard.
When reading, I'm not a fan of head-hopping, slow development, or descriptions of characters' physical attributes or clothes unless it's significant to the story.
I think my biggest pet peeve aside from bad editing (or lack thereof) is flat characters I can't care about. It doesn't matter if the writing is good if I can't care about at least one character.
Yeah, when you train your mind to look for certain things, it's hard to turn it off.
It irks me too when big authors do things we're told not to do all the time. Doesn't seem fair, does it?
I can think of more than one book I've read that drive my inner editor insane. I don't know how they get away with it!
I've found summer TV to be sooooo boring. Nothing has piqued my interest lately.
Summer is just passing slowly, slipping like beads off the string of the year quietly.
If you know how to break the rules the "right" way, i would guess they think the rules don't count.
Love the fresh veggies of summer!
I read to escape or learn, no inside editor for me, but I could sure use one when my writing is done! ;)
I hope you have a smooth ride from here on in!
I notice writers breaking rules all the time too! What the heck?! Should we or shouldn't we? LOL. Enjoy your summer, Susan!
I have this theory... To stop you from writing your best, people say you shouldn't do this or that. That way there is less competition in the marketplace. hahahaha I'm only joking, of course, but still...
Yes, the summer is flying by. I envy you the garden produce!
It's difficult to shut off my inner editor when reading too. The summer is flying by! My little guy starts second grade tomorrow. We have a bunch of tomatoes as well.
Not following Game of Thrones. Rented some of the first episodes from the library and really not enthusiastic although I enjoyed the books but stopped reading those a while back too. Not a writer of course, but I get so teed off with bad grammar and ill formed sentences. However, I just read Robin Hobb's most recent book and didn't find a single flaw in any one of the 800 odd pages. I was impressed. Good luck with your third book.
Being the medical transcriptionist, what peeves me in a book is the typos. I'm thinking "shouldn't someone have caught this down the road somewhere in the process?" I remember when I worked for a cardiac surgery group. They always wrote articles for the various journals. I remember the nurse practitioner literally reading word for word to make sure no typos and then having several of us office "girls" do the same.
I'm sticking with Zoo through its run; not sure if this will be the last year or not. Of course, I got sucked up in LOST and promised never to get involved in another series again. I'm afraid to start Game of Thrones just in case it holds me interest.
betty
Hi Susan - it is so worthwhile reading a well-written book - sometimes things are dashed off the page, or an article in a magazine or newspaper ... or even the BBC - where a name is spelt incorrectly - hate it! I tend not to get into series on the tv - but tennis I'll do! Cheers and enjoy the rest of the summer - Hilary
I keep telling myself I need to watch Game of Thrones. I am a Sean Bean fan so funny I still have not watched it. I will get to it eventually. Juneta @ Writer's Gambit
My favorite summer shows are Big Brother and So You Think You Can Dance. I have to wait until Game of Thrones is on DVD on Netflix before I can catch up with the new episodes. And yes, I do have some garden. I have lots of tomatoes this year (for a change) and plenty of zucchini. A few green peppers and a lovely rosemary plant. My early spring lettuce and spinach gave us lots of good salad...I might try a fall planting if I can find the room (maybe in the flower garden).
When it comes to trad pub books, especially the Big Five, my expectations are high and I’m annoyed by unnecessary typos and grammar errors. Not fair, I suppose. But I always imagine that these books have big budgets in place, and top notch editors working on the manuscripts…am I right?
Okay, maybe the 'big budget' is a misconception on my part.
You know you've made it as an author when you can break all the rules and still get published, lol.
Yeah, gotta treat writing as a job to get through all the tough stuff. Me, its just a hobby. I still get frustrated when I read major mistakes like typo's, repetitive phrases - just general writer laziness.
The fact that some authors seem to get away with breaking the "rules" has just made me realize that the rules are just guidelines and are for the most part subjective.
I'm loving Salvation so far.
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